Testosterone Infertility
Testosterone seems to get held responsible for everything guys do wrong! However, if you (the guy) have extra or too little testosterone, infertility becomes a possibility. If testosterone concentrations aren’t just right the man will have a tough time manufacturing or delivering sperm.
The testes, protected by the scrotum, are where all the action takes place and where the testosterone is produced. Two hormones FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) stimulate the making of testosterone. Thus, if there is a problem with the pituitary gland, which makes LH and FSH, or the hypothalamus, which releases gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) which stimulates the pituitary to make LH and FSH, then testosterone production will also be impacted. Phew! The characteristics that make men sound and look like men – deep voice, muscular physique and facial hair and the like – are all a result of testosterone released during puberty. It is also responsible for regulating the sex drive.
Hypogonadism is a condition where you have a lack of testosterone. As mentioned before, problems with the testes, hypothalamus or pituitary gland can reduce your testosterone manufacture or it may be a problem that you are born with. Unfortunately, hypogonadism attacks your chances of conceiving from all sides – if you lack testosterone you can have few sperm, subdued sex drive and problems getting and maintaining an erection. Ouch! Other indicators of hypogonadism include mood swings, hot flashes, an increase in body fat, enlarged breast tissue and hot flashes. Make sure you are seen to by a doctor, as you will need to be sent to to a endocrinologist (hormone specialist) to get a definite diagnosis. Typically you will be given testosterone replacement therapy, but you might still need additional help to have a baby. Your doctor has to to know that you are trying to conceive so that he or she can administer the correct medication.
You probably never realized that an excess of testosterone could be a problem, but hypergonadism might also bring about infertility. It’s easier to improve the quantities of hormones than it is to lower them, so it is more tricky to treat hypergonadism, although the good news is that it is much less common. Men who have hypergonadism will experience abnormal hair growth, enlarged breast tissue, increased muscle mass (the only good news), early puberty and acne.
Testosterone infertility is not only a male problem as women who have lots of testosterone might have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), a common cause of infertility. Women who have PCOS will struggle to shed fat, and they could experience excess facial hair, acne and irregular or absent periods. So abnormal testosterone amounts in men or women can bring about fertility difficulties. With the correct amount of testosterone, infertility is less likely. Testosterone infertility is fairly easy to treat, though you could also require counseling to help handle the psychological aspects of hyper- or hypogonadism as these may influence your perception of your manliness.
Here is more information on What is Infertility. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Infertility.
Tags: testosterone infertility, what is infertility
This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 10:48 pm and is filed under loose pregnancy weight. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.